Mr. Brueres Herd. 1 79 



Braithwaite Fell, only 38 acres are arable, and 12 of 

 them turnip. The blackcocks club within three hun- 

 dred yards of the house, and, when the wind is in the 

 west, the hill sides are full of grouse, but an easterly 

 blast drives them further over to Dally Gill Moors or 

 Masham Moor Head. About 150 black-faced ewes 

 are kept for the heather, and crossed with a blue- 

 faced Leicester. The produce are sold off as lambs 

 and shearling wethers, the latter of them generally 

 weighing from 2olbs. to 22lbs. per quarter, and ave- 

 raging 61bs. per fleece ; while the best of the shearling 

 gimmers are kept to make up the ranks of a half-bred 

 flock to 50. The cross invariably knocks the horn 

 out of the gimmers ; and those of the wethers which 

 retain their horns are coarser, but make bigger sheep. 

 The white-faced Leicester has never suited the half- 

 bred ewes so well, and his stock never seemed to 

 travel so well through the ling. Mr. Bruere considers 

 that he owes most to a black Leicester, who gave 

 plenty of "japan" to the face and legs, and yet only 

 got four black sheep in the course of his four sea- 

 sons.* 



* The Lincolns have been introduced on the Yorkshire Wolds, but 

 they did not answer, and required higher keeping. Many farmers both 

 in this and other counties have tried one cross of the Lincoln on their 

 Leicester ewes, and gained wool and size without a sacrifice of that 

 aptitude to feed which is the Leicester's great characteristic ; but the 

 second cross does not answer, as the mutton has a tendency to be coarse. 

 A few Lincolns are still sent annually to the Masham districts of York- 

 shire, which have what they call a "Mug" tup, or Leicester of their 

 own. He is not a relic of the Teeswater; and a "New Leicester" man 

 will not look at him. He stands well on his legs, and can travel through 

 the heather after the active speckled-faced ewes better than the short- 

 legged Leicester, who would " weary to nothing" in such ground. The 

 rams are hardy, and clip from 81bs. to lolbs. of wool, and in veiy 

 rare instances I2lbs. ; while the ewes average 61bs. to ylbs. of wool, 

 and are very prolific. The wethers will make up with good keep from 

 2olbs. to 24lbs. in eighteen months ; but several of them are not cut, 

 and dealers carry on a large trade by taking them to Scotland. Many 

 of the best ones find a ready sale at Masham, Kettlewell, and Skipton, 

 where the farmers won't look at a pure Leicester, and i$l. has been 

 made for a " regular topper." They seem to spring from a union of the 



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